University web address: http://www.mtu.edu/geo/

Researchers from the Department of Geological & Mining Engineering & Sciences at Michigan Technological University will participate in the proposed project. Michigan Tech was founded in 1885 has evolved into a nationally ranked, doctoral-granting institution of higher education specializing in science, technology, engineering and mathematical fields. US News & World Report’s 2013 ratings place Michigan Tech in the top tier of national universities and 58th among public, national universities. Approximately 95% of our students have jobs in their chosen field, enroll in graduate school, or enlist in the military by the time they graduate. More than 350 companies recruit on campus annually. Michigan Tech has the nation’s largest Peace Corps Master’s International program. It hosts 2 colleges and 3 schools, 23 departments, and 22 Research and Academic Centers and Institutes.
The Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences at Michigan Tech houses strong and varied expertise in remote sensing of geological hazards and modelling earth processes (hydrology, geotechnics, etc.). The Department has 11 tenured and tenure-track professors and is the only geoscience department in the U.S. that includes geology with geological engineering and geophysics. The department hosts 70 graduate students and 80 undergraduate students among these three majors. The main focus is on natural hazard assessment and mitigation, which are performed in close collaboration with a large number of other national and international institutions worldwide. Dr. Gierke was a project director for Michigan Tech’s first Partnership in International Research and Education (PIRE) program of the U.S. National Science Foundation. The Michigan Tech PIRE project worked with hazard mitigation agencies and universities if five countries in Latin America. The department is also host to the only Peace Corps Masters International program in Natural Hazard Mitigation, a partnership with the U.S. Peace Corps, where students simultaneously pursue an M.S. degree while also serving as volunteers in the U.S. Peace Corps. The department’s interactions with the lead institution in Italy for this project are facilitated through a multiyear exchange program. The specific expertise for this project include: (1) remote sensing, (2) hydrological modeling, and (3) slope stability assessment.